Blur filters

Average

The Average
filter finds the average color of an image or selection, and then
fills the image or selection with the color to create a smooth look.
For example, if you select an area of grass, the filter changes
the area into a homogeneous patch of green.

Blur and Blur More

The
Blur filters soften a selection or an image and are useful for retouching.
They smooth transitions by averaging the color values of pixels
next to the hard edges of defined lines and shaded areas.

Blur

Eliminates noise where significant color transitions occur
in an image. Blur filters smooth transitions by averaging the color
values of pixels next to the hard edges of defined lines and shaded
areas.

Blur More

Produces an effect several times stronger than that of the
Blur filter.

Note:

Before applying a Blur filter, deselect the Lock transparent
pixels option in the Layers panel.

Blurring the background of a photo

Gaussian Blur

The
Gaussian Blur filter quickly blurs a selection by an adjustable
amount. Gaussian refers to the bell-shaped curve that Photoshop Elements generates when it applies a weighted
average to the pixels. The Gaussian Blur filter adds low-frequency
detail and can produce a hazy effect. You can set the blur radius
in the filter options to determine how far the filter searches for
dissimilar pixels to blur.

Lens Blur

Lens
Blur can be used to give the effect of narrower depth of field so
that some objects in the image stay in the focus and others are
blurred. The portions of the image that are blurred and those that
remain in focus depend on the layer mask, saved selection, or transparency
settings applied. The way the blur appears depends on the iris shape
you choose. Iris shapes are determined by the number of blades they
contain. You can change blades of an iris by curving them (making them
more circular) or rotating them. Use the preview options to see
how changing the settings in the Lens Blur dialog affect your photograph.

Motion Blur

The
Motion Blur filter blurs in a particular direction (from ‑360º to
+360º) and at a specific distance (from 1 to 999). The filter’s
effect is analogous to taking a picture of a moving object with
a fixed exposure time. You can set the blur angle and distance.

Radial Blur

The
Radial Blur filter simulates the blur of a zooming or rotating camera
to produce a soft blur. The Amount option controls the blur amount.
Spin blurs along concentric circular lines and lets you specify
a degree of rotation. Zoom blurs along radial lines, as if zooming
in on or out of the image and lets you specify an amount from 1
to 100. Blur quality ranges from Draft for fast but grainy, results
to Good and Best for smoother results, which are indistinguishable
except on a large selection. You can specify the origin of the blur
by dragging the pattern in the Blur Center box.

Smart Blur

The
Smart Blur filter precisely blurs an image. You can specify a radius
to determine how far the filter searches for dissimilar pixels to
blur, a threshold to determine how different the pixels’ values
must be before they are eliminated, and a blur quality. You can
also set a mode for the entire selection (Normal) or for the edges
of color transitions (Edge Only and Overlay Edge). Where significant contrast
occurs, Edge Only applies black-and-white edges and Overlay Edge applies
white.

Surface Blur

The
Surface Blur filter blurs an image while preserving edges. This
filter is useful for creating special effects and for removing noise
and graininess. The Radius option specifies the size of the area
sampled for the blur. The Threshold option controls how much the
tonal values of neighboring pixels must diverge from the center
pixel value before becoming a part of the blur. Pixels with tonal
value differences less than the Threshold value are excluded from
the blur.

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